How Reddit Came Together to Save Waffles, A Cat Abandoned in the Snow

“Neighbor moved and abandoned his poor cat in the dead of winter. I found him huddled for warmth in the cat shelter I built. Anyone in the Cleveland area want to adopt a friendly ginger kitty?”

Reddit user split_chickadee

The redditor, split_chickadee, wrote that the neighbor got him as a kitten in the summer and would show him off “because he was small and cute,” but over the past few months, the cat would be seen prowling around in the cold late at night and early in the morning. The cat was too afraid to come inside his home, so he would leave food and water out and made a shelter out of two Rubbermaid containers and some insulation. He started calling the cat Waffles. Eventually, he learned that the neighbor had moved away, leaving poor Waffles behind.

“It was a no brainer to help him,” the Ohio resident tells Upvoted.

He already has several cats, so he wasn’t able to take in another. So he turned to the Reddit community.

Redditors started brainstorming, offering suggestions on how to spread the word. They started sharing stories about how they, too, found and cared for abandoned cats. Many cursed the neighbor. Several showed interest in adopting Waffles.

Then there was this post.

“If you cannot find anyone else please let me know. I’m in Northeast Columbus and could probably take a road trip to come and get him.”

The redditor was a man named Dan (Reddit user 0110010001100010).

“I saw the picture and immediately fell in love,” Dan tells Upvoted. “He reminded me so much of my childhood cat that passed a few years back my heart was broken that he was left behind. He needed a home so bad and I wanted to leave work right then to come get him.”

He and his wife shared some photos of his newest family member. “He took to us right away,” Dan wrote.

Reddit user 0110010001100010

Awwwwwww.

Reddit user 0110010001100010

As for how Waffles is adjusting, Dan tells us, “He’s going to be a chill lap cat and he loves attention, bird watching, and walking around the house meowing at absolutely nothing. It’ll probably be another week or so before his true personality comes out. I think he’s going to be a great addition to the family!”